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A fall wreath helps preserve the season's beauty

October 05, 2003|By Martha Stewart, New York Times Syndicate, Copyright 2003, Martha Stewart.

Crisp fall weekends are meant for leisurely walks outside. As you stroll along the path of a nearby park or wander through the countryside, you may notice tall grasses, colorful leaves, limbs brightened with berries and lush evergreens.

Luckily, you can capture this fleeting season by gathering some of the things you like and fashioning them into a fall wreath.

Plan a day to set off on your wreath ramble and have your kids join you in the fun of a woodsy jaunt. Tell them it's an adventure in search of nature's best treasures. Be sure to bring your pruning shears for clipping off boughs and a few paper bags for storing your bounty.

Finding wreath materials

If you have picturesque meadows and woods in your neighborhood or somewhere nearby, rely on them for this kind of wandering. (Ask permission before taking any cuttings from property that is not yours.)

Also keep in mind that botanic gardens, orchards, farm stands and local nurseries often carry cut seasonal materials that would be ideal for wreaths and garlands.

As you gather your materials, take inspiration from landscape features such as woods, ponds, meadows and hedgerows. Each has distinctive plant life that, once fashioned into a wreath, will evoke the mood of that place.

Look for vegetation that is either already dried (such as grasses and leaves, which would shrivel if they were arranged fresh) or is hardy (such as twigs and evergreen cuttings). Items with a bit of stem are the simplest to attach to a wreath form.

Making a wreath

Natural materials may be attached to wire wreath forms in two ways: by wrapping the form with fabric and tucking the materials into the folds of the fabric, or by securing bundles of materials to the frame with floral wire.

A fabric-wrapped wreath form is easier to work with. It neatly accommodates a variety of natural materials -- from dense items, such as evergreens, to lighter, looser materials, such as leaves and grasses.

To use floral wire, bundle materials together at the stem end and secure to the wreath form by wrapping.

- Choose jersey fabric in a color that coordinates with the natural materials you've selected; this will provide a camouflaged background to fill in any gaps.

- To wrap the wreath form, tie one end of a fabric strip to a ring on the form. Wind the length of fabric snugly around the form, overlapping rotations by about 1 inch. When that strip of fabric ends, tie the end of a new strip to the one before it, making sure that each tie is placed on the same side of the wreath frame. (The side with the ties will be the back of the frame.)

- Once the form is complete, tuck natural materials between the layers of fabric. Work around the frame in one direction, overlapping the materials as you go. Use smaller items to fill in any bare areas.

Keep in mind that your fabric-wrapped form can be reused from season to season: Simply tug the materials out of the folds and replace them with new ones.

If you're using floral wire and a bare wreath form:

- The process of attaching natural materials to a bare wreath form is not complicated, but it is a bit more time-consuming. Start by making clusters of materials, using no more than a handful in each. Secure a cluster by winding a length of floral wire around the stem end at least two times. Twist wire ends together, cutting any excess wire with wire snips or scissors.

- After the clusters have been prepared, attach each individual bundle to the bare wreath form, working around the frame in one direction and overlapping the clusters as you go: Wind a length of floral wire around the stem end and the frame at least two times. Twist wire ends together on the back side of the frame, cutting any excess wire.

Overlap the clusters so the wire at each stem end is concealed. Use smaller bundles to fill in any gaps.

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